Hundreds of Greeley voters receive wrong ballots for city council election

Related Media

Hundreds of Greeley voters have received ballots for the wrong city council candidate.

Greeley City Clerk Betsy Holder said she certified old ward boundaries for Greeley’s city council election this year, so about 900 voters received ballots to vote on a Ward II candidate when they should have received ballots for Ward III.

Other voters received a ballot for Ward III when they shouldn’t have received one for their city council ward at all, because Wards I and IV don’t have contests this year.

Holder said she and Weld County Clerk and Recorder Steve Moreno worked Thursday to identify all of the voters affected so they could re-send ballots today to those who should be able to vote in the Ward III election. Holder said that should give voters enough time to fill out the correct ballot.

“We’re really grateful it happened in this phase, and not closer to election,” she said.

Holder said those who received ballots in uncontested wards can use their ballots, but their votes regarding the Ward III candidate will not be counted.

She said those who receive a new ballot will also receive a letter explaining the mistake.

The Greeley City Council modified ward boundaries in 2012, to even out the population in each ward while accounting for population growth.

Ward II, which incorporates the southeast quadrant of the city, has four candidates — Neil Chikazawa, Randy Sleight, Patrick Wardell and Frank Garcia — running for an open seat. Ward III, which incorporates the southwest quadrant of the city, has one person, incumbent John Gates, running uncontested for his seat.